Peter Parker lies in his bed at night, the same silly loft bed he's slept in ever since May and Ben took him in, and he stares at the stars.
There's more stars than there used to be. The sky over Queens is a little less yellow, a little more clear. It's still the city, so don't get him wrong, there's light pollution galore, but still.
If he squints, he can see the old Stark Tower.
Pain rips through him without warning as images of his mentor fly through his head.
Mr. Stark in the lab.
Mr. Stark laughing at my joke.
Mr. Stark running to help me after I got shot by a burglar.
Mr. Stark carrying me to bed after I passed out over my web shooters.
Mr. Stark dying in front of my eyes.
Hot tears squeeze through his eyelids, but no- no- he won't cry. Mr. Stark wouldn't want him to cry.
But holy shit, this hurts.
He's lost both parents. He stood at their graves in a tiny black suit. He lost Uncle Ben, holding May's hand as she tossed dirt on the casket lowered into the ground.
"Jesus CHRIST kid!" Mr. Stark pushes into the Med-Bay.
"Mr. Stark, I swear I'm okay, it was just a mix up with this shoplifter on Braddock, he-"
"HE SHOT YOU!"
"Only in the arm!"
Mr. Stark sits down, running his hands through his hair. "I know teenagers think they're invincible and shit, I did-"
"Mr. Stark, I kinda am, you know, with the healing-"
"THE ADULT is TALKING, PETER! The point is," he sighs, "you aren't invincible."
Mr. Stark stares at him with dark brown eyes, eyes weary with age and the heaviness of seeing too much shit.
"You can't die on me."
He laughs humorlessly, an arm swung over his eyes as he lays back. Peter knew the life of a superhero was more dangerous, of course he knew. He knew that better than the average joe. But.
He never thought Mr. Stark would die.
He never wanted this.
Not this.
Not Tony.
It's with a start that he realizes that's what he genuinely just thought of him as. Of all the times the man has asked him, begged him to call him Tony.
He only calls him that once he's dead.
Peter starts laughing again, weakly, as the tears finally start pouring out without mercy, not caring how hard he tries to stop them.
"Tony." He sobs into the darkness.
"Come back, please, Tony."
"Please."
Of course, seeing as he is a man of science, he knows what his response is.
With only sobs permeating the thick silence of the cramped apartment, more stars glitter in the sky than usual.